The Crimson Planet Invasion
by wicked-n-lazy
Summary: A 'falling star' lands, bringing to Earth a race of horrifyingly intelligent beings from Mars with plans of domination for our fertile planet. The League are the only hope for London, and indeed, the world.
1. The Star that fell from Aries

AN- Welcome dear readers, to what I shall describe as my version of the sequel to The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, involving the arrival and attack by the Martians. The 'universe' is that of the film version, so it will be including Agent Sawyer and the film interpretations of the characters. I'm being so proper in my speech, heh; you can tell I've been getting right into the mood for writing.

My references will mainly be from The War of the Worlds novel by H.G Wells (a book I've come to love so much for its language and style) and of course, the second volume of the LXG graphic novels, which reminded how many hilarious lines Mr Hyde has. I don't own either of these books, the ideas or characters, or the film! (But you knew that…)

Anyhow, I hope you'll read along as I write, promising to update more often since my exams are over and I should hopefully have more free time after college. I hope you'll take the time to review and leave your comments with me, as I reply to all of them and they are massively appreciated, especially constructive criticism as it helps me develop into a much better writer.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy.

Wicked

* * *

''Yet across the gulf of space, minds that are to our minds as ours are to those of the beasts that perish, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us.'' – H.G Wells, 'The War of the Worlds'.

* * *

Woking  
England  
1900

In the early hours of Friday morning, few inhabitants of Woking witnessed the flash of colour and light that streaked across the sky. This emerald flare shot down towards the common, and was gone from sight as quickly as a shooting star, though in its stead was left a pale glowing trail that also vanished into the atmosphere.

It came to land in the sand pits on Horsell common, flinging grit, earth and sand across the common with great force. There was a great black scorch of land left where the heat of the cylinder's impact had burnt an entire field down to nothing but a dark patch. A column of heather was still aflame nearby, blackening slowly under the blaze, its normally sweet scent tainted with that of ash. Its vibrant blooms were reduced to a dull powder.

As dawn rose, word spread quickly throughout the place that a star had fallen in the night, and the news quickly reached London by Henderson, a journalist who worked for the papers in the city.

Nothing escapes the notice of the Government with eyes and ears all over the empire, especially not such strange headlines as that of the earliest edition of the evening paper in London:

**'A MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM MARS'  
'Remarkable Story From Woking' **

* * *

Deep blue eyes roved over the words on the thin printed page, taking in the report slowly. There was little detail of anything when you actually read the newsprint and only a vague description of the vessel that had been mistaken for a meteorite until discovered in the pits. Dr Henry Jekyll looked out of the dirty window of the train carriage that contained him, speeding him out of London towards Horsell common- the area where the cylinder, as it had been described, had crashed. He folded the paper up and left it upon his lap. The ink had stained his hands lightly, and he took out a handkerchief to clean the black smudges on his pale fingertips.

''Good day for it'' Came a cockney voice, breaking the silence of the cab. Rodney Skinner commented on the light rain that had set in after a perfectly hot summer's day. Night was falling slowly over the city as they left it behind, entering a rural area. A clean patch appeared on the window, as though the glass had been wiped by an invisible hand. Skinner tutted and muttered something as he cleaned his hand on the small window curtain next to him.

''What's in the news, Jekyll,'' he asked the man opposite him, staring out of the window. He received no reply from the distracted doctor, and Skinner cleared his throat impatiently, ''Jekyll?''

The physician looked up at him in surprise.

''Sorry- I'm afraid I was miles away. There isn't much to learn about the landing from this report.'' He replied, handing the newspaper to his invisible co-worker. It hovered in Skinners grip and was an intriguing thing to watch as it seemingly unfolded itself. The carriage jolted forward with the movement of the train, causing the lights to flicker for a moment.

''I don't see why we're heading out to see this thing.'' Special Agent Thomas Sawyer remarked as he got himself resettled into his seat. He brushed his messy blonde hair out of his eyes with one hand and looked to the other League members. His answer came from the single female member of the team.

''Because our Mr 'M' believes it is a suspicious matter and might be some kind of military machinery. We simply have to examine the cylinder and determine its origin.''

''Didn't you hear,'' Skinner said with an air of amusement in his voice, ''it came from Mars- shot out of the sky and landed in the ground, set fire to a field nearby!''

Mina raised her eyes to the ceiling and folded her hands in her lap in a very ladylike way. She glanced at Nemo, who seemed to be deep in thought, his arms folded across his chest.

''Mars? Impossible. Who built the thing?'' The American asked, frowning at Skinner. The thief shrugged and continued reading. He tapped his finger on the door handle. ''I reckon there can't be any life on the planet- and it's pretty far away.'' He smiled at the understatement of his observation and looked out of the grimy window again. After a little while of silence, there was the sound of a newspaper being folded up.

''How do we know where the contraption came from when we see it? I highly doubt it will be marked as 'Property of the French military' or what ever such place created it.'' Jekyll said, wiping the window again. Sawyer smirked at the comment but continued to stare out of the other window.

''We'll see now.'' The Indian captain said quietly as the train came to a stop.

* * *

They all climbed out of the carriage and waited while Mina was given directions to the sandpits. They continued on foot, heading down a small country lane. It was eerily quiet as they walked. Thin trails of smoke could be seen rising in the distance, trailing high up into the atmosphere. Approaching the pits, they were passed by a panicked man who ran straight down the lane without a word to them. Sawyer looked back, his broad brimmed hat covering his eyes as he watched him run.

''Rather ominous sign wasn't it?'' Skinner commented as they approached the pits. He stopped abruptly as the others stood still in front. He looked out past them and saw a wide area of blackened earth surrounding the pit. The immediate area was completely destroyed, as though a great fire had swept across it in a matter of minutes. On closer examination, the League found that there was a much darker and more horrible reality to the burnt ground.

''Good Lord…th- there are people everywhere…my God…this is atrocious…'' Henry Jekyll struggled to speak as he observed the carnage around him. People burnt and disfigured by fire beyond any kind of recognition, were now almost a part of the land themselves.

''What…what could have happened here?'' Mina asked, her azure eyes astonished with the sight she beheld. The doctor was unable to reply, distracted. Sawyer moved slowly towards the edge of the sand pit and saw the cylinder. It was open, and seemed to be in two halves, one part shaped like an enormous screw that had been removed. Staring down into the pit, he noticed a small ridge around the edge like glass- as though the sand had been hit by something incredibly hot to fuse it into changing. Then he noticed two creatures near the cylinder unlike anything he had ever seen in his life.

''Um, I think you should come and look at this….now I may be a humble country boy…but I'm pretty sure that ain't a common creature round here…''

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen stood on the edge of the vast pit together, staring down upon the grey slug like beings that sat below them. They each had a set of long, thick tentacles that waved around in the air as though they were struggling to hold them up. The moon was out in full and shone a pale light down upon them, showing their bodies to be like a great mass of wet leather- glistening.

Frozen in a horrified fascination of these ugly creatures and their activities, the League was still and silent. Great disc like eyes passed upon them there on the ridge and one of the creatures let out a dull cry to its companion. Its jaws consisted of a triangular, fleshy beak that opened to reveal a dark gap of a mouth.

''No Agent Sawyer…these are not creatures of England…I doubt they are even of this world…''

Nemo finally answered the American gravely, observing the technology of the sluggish extra terrestrials. There came a humming noise and a pole was erected into the air, reaching higher than the remaining trees behind them. A disc rotated on top of this pole, the source of the humming. It began to glow as though the metal was being heated. There rose three green puffs of smoke.

''GET DOWN.''

Just as the warning escaped Sawyers lips, the trees behind them exploded into flames, and a line of fire spread towards them. Ducked down they ran for cover, dashing out into the lane where the fire followed. Finally they stopped, panting for breath after their escape. The arm of Skinner's coat was thrown in the direction of the pit, suggesting he was pointing at it.

''What the bloody hell was that!?'' He yelled, demanding an explanation as though his companions should know about the subject. Nemo seemed to have been thinking this already and stared back towards the blaze. It bathed the road in an orange glow, extending their shadows to long, dark figures across the dirt path.

''It appears to be some kind of heat ray…it is not visible to the naked eye.'' The Indian shared his thoughts. There was only the sound of the crackling fire and the ragged breathing of the League to be heard for a moment. They only noticed that the humming had still been going on when it stopped, and the quiet was abrupt on their ears. There followed banging and the sounds of construction.

''Well…it seems we have some news to tell M after all.'' Mina remarked, a hand against her chest as her breathing was first to regulate. The group made their way along the lane towards the inn that Mycroft Holmes had arranged for them to occupy- 'The Bleak House.' The owners had not wasted any time in leaving. A message was left for them from their benefactor…

NEWS HAS REACHED US OF POD AND OCCUPANTS. STAY AND GUARD THE PERIMETER. ARMY WILL ARRIVE WITHIN THE HOUR. M.

* * *

To Be Continued…


	2. The British Brigade Failure

AN- Thankyou for your reviews, I'm glad you're interested. Just to clarify, the M in this story is Mycroft Holmes from the graphic novel, not Moriarty.

* * *

Wilhelmina sat outside of the inn alone, enjoying the cool evening breeze as it played across the common. She was staring up at the heavens, observing the sprinkling of stars in the inky blackness. It seemed so peaceful. How could something so horrifying and destructive have come from such a place? 

Although it was a beautiful night, there was an eerie atmosphere to the darkness. Outside by herself, she felt something she hadn't for a very long time- fear. There was no sound but the distant clattering and working noises coming from out on the common. Yet there was no other sound to be heard. No nocturnal activity of any kind. It seemed the animals had left, most likely before the humans in the area had even seen the aliens emerge from their machine. Then they had to run.

''Are you alright?''

''I'm fine, Agent Sawyer.'' She answered the young American without looking away from the sky. She could hear the crunch of gravel under his boots as he walked towards the bench and sat next to her. He sat there quietly and joined her in watching the sky.

''Sure is a nice night.'' He said calmly, leaning back against the wooden frame of the seat. He saw her nod and he fiddled with his shirt collar. He'd come out for some air, feeling hot and stuffy in his room. He had the window open and left it to air out for a while.

''Do you still believe it impossible for life to exist elsewhere in this vast universe?'' she asked him with a slight tone of amusement. He smiled briefly before it faded from his features.

''Who knew,'' He replied simply, scuffing his boot against the ground, ''I sure wasn't expecting anything like today…guess there was someone to build the thing after all.''

The two sat in a comfortable silence for some time. Mina continued to watch the sky, whilst Tom stared at the ground, leaning forward on his knees. His brain was continually re-playing the events of the day back to him. Over and over he thought about the heat ray, the burnt corpses, the creatures that had caused him to feel such disgust and terror.

''Why are they here, Mina?''

The vampiress lowered her head and turned her gaze to the young, blonde man seated next to her. His green eyes were alight with the inquisitiveness of a child. She studied his features with fast, keen eyes.

''I don't know.''

The light breeze caused the sign of the inn to creak back and forth on its rusty, ageing hinges. Green smoke could be seen rising steadily above the trees and a loud whirring noise began. The couple listened to the sound, both wondering what the Martians were doing down in the sandy crater they had made for themselves.

* * *

Under the lamplight, Nemo silently played a game with a pack of matches, attempting to make the word NINE.

Dr Jekyll sat in an armchair nearby reading a novel he had found on the empty bookshelf. The owners of the inn had left very little behind, and there was a very small amount of food in the pantry for them.

Luckily they had eaten well on the ship and were likely to be satisfied until the morning.

Skinner stood at the window, watching the dark trees in the distance that hid the pit from view. He swirled dark wine around in its glass, enjoying the scent of the alcohol over the taste. He sipped and swilled it around in his mouth before finally letting it enter his system. Sighing heavily he adjusted the pince nez that were balanced on his nose.

''The army is here.'' He muttered. The two looked up at him and saw the men approaching in their regal red uniforms. They had helmets with a small spike on top, military swords strapped across their shoulders. They carried bayonets as they marched in perfect synchronisation.

* * *

The evident leader of the troops rode a magnificent white horse and paused to speak with Mina and Sawyer. His helmet bore a large white plume with fluttered around with the movement of his head, and the medals spread across his chest glinted in the moonlight.

''You must be the military intelligence group we were told about. Some business about a pit, with giant 'slugs' inside?'' He said, truly intrigued by the situation. Sawyer watched the men marching towards the common.

''Certainly…but they are hostile.''

''No trouble, miss, we can handle it. Already there are adjacent troops heading towards the North side of the common to put up a guard. I say, I've heard the things can't move?''

''They don't seem capable of much movement, no…''

''Well, we'll sort them out. Good evening to you both.''

The man commanded his horse to trot on and it moved quickly. The last men of the brigade came and went, all heading towards Horsell common. Sawyer gave a small sigh and shook his head.

''Most of those men…they're going to die.'' Mina said quietly. The spy at her side remained silent, unable to answer, seeing no point in answering. Even if he said that they wouldn't, he knew that he was wrong and it was foolish to think otherwise. They'd seen first hand what these things were capable of whether they could leave the pit or not.

''Guess we should call it a night…'' He muttered. She nodded and they turned towards the door, heading inside.

''Great Christ and all his angels,'' Skinner said suddenly, obviously taken by surprise. His team mates looked at him quizzically as he moved towards the door, ''you'd better come out and look!''

Standing out in the settling dust left by the army's march, five extraordinary individuals stood underneath the black sky as a large, vivid streak painted it with an ominous green glow. It stood out against the heavens, so bright it rivalled every other star, and disappeared into the dark horizon in the direction of Woking.

''That makes two then.'' Sawyer said obviously, unable to think of anything else to say. The others stood silent.

''If these things continue falling and the English plans fail to subdue them…we may find ourselves on the losing side.'' Nemo replied grimly, continuing to stare upwards. He shook his head and turned to go inside, the 'meteorite' gone.

* * *

**Saturday Morning  
The Bleak House Inn**

The League was awoken by the thunderous sounds of shelling coming from the common. They converged outside to see if anything was visible in the air, still dressing and pulling on clothes in their haste.

''Is that the army making all the noise, or the Martians?'' Tom asked, rolling up his shirt sleeves. No-one could be sure as they listened. The detonation came from distant Surrey, where the second cylinder had landed following the descent witnessed by the League. An eerie silence fell over the area.

''Perhaps we succeeded? Perhaps it's all over..,'' Jekyll suggested, breaking the silence. Suddenly there came a roar of noise, the sound of shouting and explosions from in the distance, ''…perhaps not.'' From nearby on the common the same sound could be heard. Great belches of dense smoke rose from Horsell suggesting the defeat of the regiment that had been sent there the night before.

''They…they've destroyed our artillery positions…every one of our machines will have been smashed to create so much smoke…'' Jekyll said, watching the smog rising into the pale blue sky. He could feel Edward Hyde stirring inside him. He had been infuriated with Jekyll for making him miss out on attacking the creatures in the pit when they had fired the heat ray. The beast was not only aching for freedom, he was flared up with a violent desire to have a go at the Martians.

'I could handle those slug-things, I'll rip them apart! I'll eat them and pull out their greasy tentacles; I'll throttle them! Let me out Henry- what possible use could anyone have for you this time? You're no bloody use to ANYONE. LET ME OUT.'

The doctor sighed inwardly as his alter-ego began this tirade upon him again, a rant which only he could hear.

'Move forward you pratt!'

Jekyll was startled by the warning which came seconds before the roof of the inn turned to flame. He moved quickly away from the building as it was engulfed by fire, struck by the ghostly beam of the heat ray.

''How could the device throw its attack so far?'' Nemo asked incredulously, watching as their lodgings for the night burnt to the ground. The group were astonished once more by this strange machinery, and worried by the fact that the member with the most technological awareness was as utterly astounded and baffled as they were.

There came the sound of an approaching cab, the hooves of the driving horses clattering noisily across the ground. The driver shouted for them to stop, causing them to rear up. They pawed the ground and snorted continuously, agitated at being so near to the pits. He looked down to them from his seat, a long whip in his hand and thick reins in the other.

''Are you the 'League'?'' He asked gruffly, ignoring the smoke and noise coming from Horsell. Mina said 'yes', glancing at the nervous Jekyll. Of course, he had reason to be anxious for once, but something about him seemed different…

''I've been told to return you to London if things went badly- and as you can probably guess, they went badly- atrociously in fact- so in you get.''

The five clambered into the cab without hesitation and began their return to London, by no means at a slower pace than their journey to Horsell common had been. Of course a horse drawn carriage couldn't rival a coal powered train for speed, but the driver certainly knew how to make the horses go. They themselves were too agitated to stay in the place for much longer anyway.

As they passed through Maybury, another village on the common, the panic amongst the inhabitants was evident as they piled up and packed all the belongings they could and fled their homes.

* * *

All the while, as Mina watched this from the cab window and all the way to London as her gentlemen companions brooded over the mission, she was haunted by something. A thought. Or rather a feeling, cold, deep in the pit of her stomach.

She had the feeling that not all of the League was going to survive this mission.

They had already lost Alan and Dorian, even though Gray had deserved to die. Sawyer had a lucky escape when he crashed the automobile, and Skinner had been burned alive, saved only by Dr Jekyll's medical expertise and months of rest. She stared out of the window sadly as they reached the outskirts of the city.

She had grown close to these men, they shared sin and darkness in their lives that no-one else could understand. It was a like a family…could she really handle seeing any of them die? Would she be able to bear losing another League member? Mina knew she had cut herself off to such things as affection since her change, and could react very coldly to others. But she had retained her human emotions, not fully lost in her vampirism…

She was distracted as they pulled up outside the Albion museum and the door was held open for her by Agent Sawyer.

* * *

To Be Continued. 


	3. Storm

AN- Thanks for your reviews everyone, it's good to see some familiar reviewers and some new ones too. I see you like things so far, that's great, that's good, and I'm doing well then. Relief! Now, some have you have mentioned the possible deaths of League members, or Skinner becoming a traitor like Griffin was…well, the truth is, I'm undecided myself. So you'll just have to wait and see as we get to it (and so will I.) I hope I don't upset anyone if I make a dramatic decision!

P.S- I don't own any of the characters, and I've included some lines from the graphic novel because they amuse me and I had to have them included.

Enjoy

* * *

British Museum  
Bloomsbury  
London

A heavy downpour thrashed the museum as a summer storm developed menacingly above the city. Dense, black clouds made the streets as dark as the evening. The windows were all grand and tall, filling every inch of the room with a vivid white light with every flash of lightening. A loud rumble would follow like a huge drum roll, gradually fading out to the sound of the rain lashing the window panes.  
Mycroft Holmes stood at the window observing the rainstorm, watching the water trickling rapidly down the glass outside. His stance suggested that he was feeling tense, but the tone of voice he used towards the League was very calm and collected.

''It's war then?'' He suggested, still staring up at the black clouds. He clasped his hands behind his back and turned to them standing in the space behind him amongst the older artefacts of the museum.

''Well, what else could you call it?'' Sawyer retorted, edgy since the Martians had destroyed the tavern and the brigade sent to attack them. Mr Holmes disregarded the attitude of the American and nodded.

''Considering the significant power of their weapons, it seems that they are here for only one purpose,'' Nemo, thinking a substantial amount about these 'visitors' had concluded that their landing on Earth was no accident- they had come for a specific reason, ''we have heard about the cylinder landing in Surrey and saw the second for ourselves. This appears to be an invasion.''

''Please, Captain,'' Holmes addressed him politely, ''we consider the term 'invasion' to be…overdramatic. And if such a word for these landings should reach the public there would be mass panic. Despite their weaponry, it seems that the creatures themselves are incapable of leaving the pits, is that right?''

The large man was met with nods from the group. Skinner fiddled with a large white sheet draped over one of the antiquities, throwing a small amount of dust up into the air. He sneezed.

''Bless you,'' Mina said casually, fixing her attention on 'M', ''what are we expected to do Mr Holmes? I'm beginning to doubt that even our services will be sufficient against a Martian attack.'' The gentlemen in the room all glanced at her awkwardly, feeling somewhere inside that she might be right, but suppressing the notion out of fear and anticipation.

''Mrs Harker…I'm quite sure you are over-reacting. The League has been a most vital aid to the British military service- even before you were recruited for us officially! Now,'' M paused as another flash filled the room, gracing everyone's features with a dark shadow that flickered away, ''you are required to merely observe for now what these things do next. I have some charts for you to examine-''

He moved over to a large, mahogany chest of drawers, taking a key from his pocket and opening the third. He slipped out a set of papers and handed them to Mina, who rolled them up into a scroll.

''They depict our positions of artillery, mere propositions, but still, learn them. And some- or perhaps, all of you if you prefer-will be taken back to the first crater site on Horsell Common for reconnaissance. Your transportation will arrive soon,'' Holmes turned back to face the window, the rain still coming down on London in a hazy torrent, ''Oh, I also suggest that you learn something about our enemy- there are many volumes about Mars here at the museum.''

''What chance do we have in this fight, sir?'' Wilhelmina again asked a forward question which everyone had been thinking but were unable to ask. Holmes remained silent for a moment and stared at the rain. He glanced down to the glistening wet street below and sighed.

''We must remain optimistic.'' He replied quietly, folding his hands behind his back once again. He observed the dark coach pulling up outside.

* * *

In the lamplight, reading can often prove a tiring task. But Mina Harker was having none of this trouble; with the keen sense of a vampire her eyes felt no fatigue at all, even in the dim light. She was reading through a set of fat encyclopaedias on Mars, and was reaching the middle of the first volume. She found the research fascinating and contentedly distracting.

Tom Sawyer appeared at the doorway, already dressed in his long black coat and Stetson hat, preparing for the rain. He noticed that she hadn't looked up to greet him like she normally would.

''Uh…we're heading out to the Common now…are you coming with us?''

She gave a little smile and looked up at him, fiddling with the pins in her hair. Looking down to her page again she replied:  
''The gravity on Mars is apparently very little compared to Earth- that explains why the creatures couldn't get out of the pit.''

He nodded slowly, listening to the new rumble of thunder above their heads. She laughed a little and shook her head. He returned her smile and leaned against the doorway.

''Forgive me, Tom…I think I'll remain here and read up on our 'visitors'…I'll be alright.''

''Are you sure,'' he asked, lifting his hat a little over his eyes. The window was streaming with water and he shivered with anticipation of the cold water. Mina nodded and watched him go before returning to her page, showing some of the rough assumptions made by the astronomists who had studied it.

* * *

Outside, Nemo was already approaching the carriage, missing his 'automobile.' It had certainly been faster and more elegant looking, but it was also a lot warmer. He got inside and brooded in the darkness, waiting for the others.

Dr Jekyll had been discussing with the Captain beforehand whether or not Hyde should be given an opportunity to help. The Indian said he was unsure; not knowing what could happen so near to the Martians again. Anything was possible- they could be attacked. They could be ignored, or even go un-noticed.

Considering the uncertainty of the situation but familiar with the damage the creatures were capable of, the doctor decided reluctantly to allow his alter-ego some freedom. He could feel a horrible sense of foreboding inside him, larger than any he had ever felt before when releasing Edward. There was no innocent party for him to hurt, yet he was filled with cold fear, creeping through his whole body…

Undressing in anticipation, something he didn't usually have the time to do, Henry lay out his clothes and removed a vial from the case he had brought. Knocking back the clear liquid inside, he doubled over in severe pain as the transformation took place. Soon enough, he became the large beast, Edward Hyde, who took to dressing in the suitably large clothes made for him under Holmes and Jekyll's suggestion.

Sawyer had the carriage door open when Hyde reached it. The young man was talking to the driver.  
''Damn, so we're going back to the heat device?''

''Good,'' Hyde muttered, ''I want one of those slug-men to play with…''

''There'll be none of that,'' the driver said suddenly, focused on the road in front of him. Rain dripped from the brim of his tall, dark hat, seeming out of place with his quite scruffy appearance, ''I've had strict instructions not to go near the sightline of the crater.''

''What? You're telling me what to do, you little arse pimple?'' Hyde retorted crudely, Sawyer half flinching at his tone and half smirking at the comment. Edward glared at the driver as he replied, unshaken by this outburst.

''That's right; I'm telling you what to do. I've killed Pathans and Kurds a lot uglier than you. Now get in the coach.''

There was a slight pause as Tom shrugged and climbed inside. The driver had replied very sharply and in as authoritative a way as one of the league might address Hyde, who replied in an amused but sarcastic tone-

''OooOOOoooh….''

He somehow managed to fit inside with them, despite taking up one entire side to him-self. He hung his head low to accommodate his size and grinned at Sawyer's curious look.

''You…got dressed today.'' Tom explained.

Edward looked to the empty seat next to the Spy and sniffed the air casually. He made a small noise that suggested he was thinking as he stared out of the window.

''Where's Skinner?'' He asked the two opposite him gruffly. They looked to each other and both shrugged. None of the trio had any idea.

''Guess he didn't want to go back out there.'' Fiddling with his pistols, Tom stared out of the window as another huge flash of lightening lit up their faces. Hyde was quite frightening in the sudden glare, but Tom was somehow used to him now. He never thought that would happen…

''What good are those going to do you?''

Turning his attention back up to the huge creature sat opposite him, Tom frowned slightly and shrugged.

''Enough…I'd rather have them and not need them, rather than need them and not have them.''

Hyde, although seemingly satisfied with the answer, gave a short, low laugh before he glanced up at the dimly lit window that signified Mina's presence there. He shook his head, seemingly trying to ignore something Jekyll was saying inside his head. The carriage ride was incredibly fast, the driver pushing the horses to top speed manageable with the cab attached to them. Suddenly the cab threatened to turn it self over and the horses outside cried whinnied loudly.

''What the hell was that?'' Tom asked irritably, rubbing his shoulder. The three clambered out of the coach to see what had happened, dodging a puddle beneath the step. Nemo demanded an explanation out of the driver, but paused when he saw the monstrous machine up ahead.

Far taller than any of the trees in the area, it was a huge contraption with a wide, black hood, almost like a flat cobra, but with sharp points. It had three, spindly but strong legs and mechanical tentacles. The whole thing shimmered in the rain, creating a path of destruction as it moved. There was a small, green compartment at the front, just beneath the hood.

* * *

To Be Continued… 


	4. Natural History

AN- Sorry for the slowness, I'll make up for it here. Thanks for your reviews, suggestions and help. I'll know answer the most popular question I've had for this story…Will Skinner betray the League..?

Enjoy

* * *

**Horsell Common  
Outside London  
**  
Completely silent, the only sounds that could be heard was the lashing of the rain and the steady sound of mechanical movement coming from the gargantuan machine that could be seen in the distance. It tore up trees and earth with every huge step, steadily moving along on three tentacle-like legs, and the hood dipping and rising in the air. 

''…What the hell is it..?'' Sawyer gasped, his normally confident voice hardly audible in the rain. His question went unanswered as the coachman yelled at them to get back in the cab. They obliged, even Hyde, and were immediately rushed back into London and away from the Martian contraption.

* * *

**British Museum  
London**

As Wilhelmina sat in the dim library, a white flash of lightening illuminated both her and her page. Her keen eyes winced at the brightness and she closed the large encyclopaedia. Leaving it on the desk for further research, she walked through the shadowy corridors of the museum.

She left her lamp behind, quite capable of seeing in the dark, her eyes lit up like a cat as another flash of lightning passed over. She listened to the light crackle die down as the thunder rumbled over. The storm was moving.

As she came to pass one of the many open doors leading to other areas of the building, she noticed a familiar leather coat and hat had been left on a chair in the corner. She stared at these items for a minute- what reason Skinner would have to be undressed now?

''Mr Skinner,'' She called out, her voice echoing down the empty hallway. There was no reply, and she could hear no movement, ''Skinner?''

Still getting no answer, Mina walked swiftly down the passage and listened out carefully for any signs of movement. She and him were now the only people in the Museum. Her skirt swished around her ankles, batted about with her fast pace. Eventually she arrived at the section of 'Natural History', containing many various animal specimens of taxidermy.

She paused to observe a magnificent, white creature- a rarity she had never seen before in her life- a huge, male polar bear. He had been stuffed in attack position, standing menacingly tall over her on his hind legs, paws outstretched. His claws were long and slim, and his mouth hung open to display two rows of deadly sharp fangs.

''It's a right shame in a way, isn't it?''

Skinners' cockney drawl took the lady completely by surprise, distracted by the polar bear. She turned swiftly to pinpoint his position, her hair flying out of place around her shoulders. She was surprised further to see him stood before her dressed in a shirt and dark pin stripe trousers. He pince nez glassed showed her where his eyes were and she rose an eyebrow at this appearance.

''Where did you find those?''

The thief chuckled, crossing his arms across his chest and looking up at the bear. The glasses tilted to the side with his head and he transferred his hands to his pockets.

''In a random room. Aheheh, you might say I fancied a change from Leather. It can rub you see…''

She rolled her eyes at his cheeky comment and began to walk slowly around the circular room, observing the stuffed animals. Skinner walked by her side, whistling a random tune.

''Just think…all these creatures killed in the name of Science or simply for our entertainment. Do you remember seeing a white Tiger when we were in Mongolia?''

Mina asked her fellow League member, looking at the stuffed Bengal tiger in front of her. The difference in colour to the Mongolian Tiger was startling, but more so was the memory of this living creature compared to the static of this stuffed version. Skinner stopped whistling and she could hear the friction of fabric as he scratched his ankle with his foot.

''Well, to be perfectly frank Miss Mina, I was more preoccupied with how bloody freezing cold I was…but I seem to recall catching a brief glimpse of the beast. Looked like it was about to eat Alan, Heheh.'' He finally bent down to relieve the itch, finding that the shoe approach wasn't working.

''We kill animals of 'lower intelligence' than ourselves- We're the dominant species and we show everyone these creatures by killing them and displaying them in glass cabinets…'' Mina said, remembering vividly the low growl of that magnificent cat, and the soft noise it made as it ran through the snow.

''So we shoot them and stuff them, and charge a nice little fee to the public. Everyone's happy.'' Skinner replied jokingly, touching the fur of a fox and looking into the fake eyes that had been inserted.

''Isn't it ironic…we took control over creatures that could easily kill us. Humans are the weakest creature on the planet…and now it seems, we're fighting an enemy that feels completely the same superiority over us…We are to them as a common rat is to you in the street- a pest. A simple yet troublesome creature. Easily eradicated…'' Mina stared up at the window above their heads, watching the darkness. Her bright blue eyes were shadowed, and lost in thought.

Skinner took in her words quietly and mulled them over. She was perfectly right. No optimism or determination was going to assure victory this time…and the news just kept getting worse.

* * *

First to burst through the Museum doors was Special Agent Sawyer, running up the steps two at a time. He shouted for Mina and Skinner, running up the grand staircase inside. Hearing him shout, the two came to the top of the stairs, alarmed at his appearance.

He was soaking wet from the heavy rain, his blonde hair clinging to his face and neck. He panted for breath as he rested on the banister, Mina coming down the steps to meet him. She put a hand gently on his shoulder.

''What on earth has happened?''

''Deep trouble, that's what. We're all in deep, ruddy trouble.'' Hyde spoke before Sawyer could catch his breath. He nodded quickly in agreement and managed to get out a few words at a time. The cold water dripped from him, creating a neat little puddle on the stairs. He sat down.

''They have…a machine- A huge machine…Nemo..?'' He turned his green gaze to the Captain as he entered the Museum. He created a frightening silhouette in the doorway, and looked gravely at his team mates…

''It seems they are ready for war.'' The Indian remarked, glancing up at Hyde beginning to shudder. He began to change painfully back into Jekyll as Nemo closed the doors. There came heavy knocking just moments later, and he was forced to yank it back open. Mycroft Holmes stood under a large, black umbrella, his coach sat next to the League's.

''Gentlemen- your driver tells me things have taken an unexpected turn for the worse..?''

He said, peering into the hall. He could see the pale form of Dr Jekyll getting off the floor while the other three came down from the stairs. Nemo nodded in reply.

''Yes. That is one way of putting it, Mr Holmes,'' He replied in a serious tone, ''what is expected of us now?''

Holmes was slightly intimidated by the dark man in front of him, but he replied confidently and as always, with an air of calm.

''We need you to return to your submersible boat, Captain, all of you. The Thames is at risk of attack, and the Nautilus is the only vessel capable of defending it.''

* * *

**To Be Continued…**

**  
**


	5. Trapped upon the Thames

AN- Argh, I'm on an updating spree, nobody stop me! Enjoy! Sorry for the lateness-

* * *

**One Week Later**

Captain Nemo stood on the top deck of the Nautilus. She was a magnificent piece of technology, well ahead of her time. She, as Nemo often addressed her as 'His Lady', was the most impressive thing he had ever built, and was currently the fastest transport known to the men who had seen or experienced a voyage upon it- until now.

The gleaming white and silver of the ship was glaringly bright against the dark sky and deep red of the River Thames- the whole river had been covered in thick, rigid weed that was a disturbingly fine shade of blood red. And it had trapped His Lady. It contained her in an alien substance, in the very country that Nemo had so long fought against…

The Indian man stood on the observation deck that jutted outwards from the rest, brooding over this predicament. He was completely lost as to how and when this plant life had grown- the ship had only paused the evening before…

Silent, and in a darker mood than he had been for a long time, Nemo glared out at the weed and at London.

* * *

Sawyer, though quite thrown by what he had seen towering over Woking, was quite keen to stay off the Ship and continue his work. After all, he was a member of 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen' now as well as an American Special Agent. He could handle this, no matter how incredulous it was-

The only problem being that he wasn't sure exactly what he could do and for once, could think of no plan of action.

Standing on the Bridge, he could see Nemo observing the carnage. The Martian machines had finally reached London, and were wreaking havoc upon the half evacuated city. The flames had no effect upon these monstrous contraptions and they continued to destroy what they could. The smoke blocked out a lot of sunlight and it was dark, as though another storm had set in.

He shook his head, raised his eyes to the heavens and stuck his hands in his pockets. Sighing in defeat, he traipsed down the slope and decided he would return on board. The weed proved strong and awkward enough to walk on, and as he crossed, a horde of crew men left the hatch armed with axes and hatchets, beginning to physically free the ship.

* * *

Wandering out of the Lounge, a restless Skinner carried a bottle of Bourbon in one hand and a glass in the other. He poured himself some and drank it down in one go. What the hell were they supposed to do now? They had taken down only two of the machines with the Ship's missile launchers, but the Martians had trapped the ship were it was, making it much more difficult to return fire.

It had surprised him that the aliens hadn't just destroyed them now that they were trapped…especially as they had shot down some of their comrades. Nemo had managed to retrieve some of the wreckage from these downfalls and had examined the technology, but was no longer in a sociable mood. Not that he ever seemed to be. But it was glaringly obvious that he wanted to be alone now with his thoughts.

Was the League was starting to break down?

How could they possibly fall apart now? After all the business with Moriarty, it seemed as though some strong ties had been made between the members, now united as a team and not just thrown together in a freaky bunch.

He left the bottle on the table in the dining room and returned to his cabin. Tom wandered past him, obviously distracted within his own thoughts.

''Have you been drinking?'' The Spy asked, able to smell the whiskey. The older man shrugged and said that he had.

''So, what's the plan?''

Tom could hear some kind of hopefulness in Skinner's voice, and it made him feel quite down to admit that he didn't have any kind of plan.

''Oh…well…maybe I'll go and ask Nemo instead of traipsing around the corridors, eh?'' Skinner replied, disappointed. The one person he had been counting on to get them all feeling confident and get out there doing something had just failed to give him what he wanted. He walked slowly to the ladder and climbed up onto the deck.

''Nemo?''

The Hindu did not answer, or even pay the man any attention. He just continued to stare, with his back to Skinner, out at his crewmen working. The thief stood next to him and watched quietly.

''I am thinking, Mr Skinner.''

The reply struck Rodney as odd, but he was glad to hear that the Captain hadn't given up on finding an idea God knows he had racked his brains all night, unable to sleep for the crashes and noise coming from the Martians, and had come up with nothing.

''The ship is contained within the river…I fear she will not be able to move for months.''

Skinner was shocked at the comment, but said nothing in reply. Months! The weed was certainly doing its job then…they'd been disabled by their enemies brilliantly. What could they possibly do on foot?

''I must confess to you now, that I had a prototype to my automobile. A newer and modified version is waiting below in the ship, and we should be able to simply drive it up onto the street by way of the slope.''

''Really,'' Skinner replied quickly, unable to contain his excitement- they could do something after all!- ''Then let's take it out, Nemo! We've got to do something other than sit on our backsides and watch London get burnt down around us!''

Nemo nodded, giving a half smile, and gestured for Skinner to go inside. The Captain followed, and they rounded up the League into the unknown construction room.

* * *

Speeding through the empty streets, not one member of the League could say that being out in the new automobile wasn't exhilarating. It was very similar to its original design, but now more streamlined and with greater engine power.

Although he was not at the wheel, Tom grinned as the Captain showed that he was also very good behind the wheel of his invention. They swerved around the corner and stopped at a fire that was beginning to die down. There stood a tall, Martian machine.

Tom sat up straight in his seat and stared, his gaze moving down the tall, spindly legs of the machine and drumming his fingers on the dashboard.

''Nemo, can I take the wheel? I have an idea…but I think I'll have to do it alone…''

Everyone in the car looked at him suspiciously. The young Spy was going to do something very clever, but also very dangerous and foolish. While Nemo observed their enemy in the distance, Skinner put hand on Sawyers shoulder in an authorative way.

''What the hell are you planning to do, kid?''

''On your own and in this, just like in Venice,'' Mina remarked, being met with his green eyes. She gave him a knowing smile and shook her head, ''I won't allow you to do such a thing, Agent Sawyer.''

Tom smiled at their comments, especially from Mina, and turned to face the three in the backseat. He put an elbow on the head rest.

''I have to. It's the best thing fer me to do, and I should get out of it alive.''

Wilhelmina rolled her eyes at this comment while Skinner chuckled, recalling what he had been told about Tom's last escapade with the car.

''Is this thing going to survive with you this time? Look…we're in this together, all or nothing.''

The Captain turned in the driver's seat and looked around at his companions faces. Weary, brown eyes settled on Tom as he explained his plan, and that they couldn't possibly go together because if they all died there would be no hope left for London.

''Sawyer, I believe this idea of yours will be quite effective if executed correctly. However, there is no reason why we should not all be involved. We are at risk even as we sit and talk. Mrs Harker and Hyde can provide an excellent distraction. Skinner and I can remain with you and I will direct you on when you should accelerate.''

Thomas mulled this over for a minute, feeling four pairs of eyes upon him. He seemed reluctant to let them all be involved, but knew it was ridiculous for him to try and be a hero and do it all alone. Mina gracefully hovered her hand in the middle of the car. Tom looked up at her and a confident smile graced his lips. He gently rested his hand on top of hers, and catching on, the remaining gentlemen did the same.

**To Be Continued...**


	6. The Assault

AN- I'm back from half way across the world readers! Australia is fantastic, it really is, loved it! But I'm glad to be back in the UK, even if it is raining a lot and getting cold now…I haven't forgotten about you, no no, and I'm going to give you an update to as many of my fics as I can!

Enjoy!

* * *

Tom revved the engine of the automobile, the headlights blazing in the growing dark. As if it wasn't bad enough, night was setting in fast. His hands felt clammy against the steering wheel as he grew nervous, butterflies beginning in the pit of his stomach. He pushed it all aside to the back of his mind, concentrating on their attack. Any minute now, he, Nemo and Skinner would be speeding straight into the danger zone.

Any minute now…

* * *

Alone in the shadows, the vampiress stalked her abnormally large and metallic prey, waiting for the right moment to swoop across and begin her assault. One of the tripods tilted forward, about to fire the heat ray across an unscathed set of buildings.

Wilhelmina took off, her cloud of bats obscuring the Martians view and causing it to panic.

The machine jolted backwards, knocking against its companion before turning the heat ray on Mina. There was a terrible screeching as the ray swept through the bats, groups of them bursting into flames as though it was spontaneous. But no sooner than they had been exterminated, more appeared rapidly and angrily, knocking and swooping around the Martians hood.

The second Martian stepped over towards it comrade, about to blast its own heat ray when Hyde took the opportunity to grab one the spindles and begin to pummel it, sending it swaying to the side. Evidently angry, the tripod tried to shake him off, firing the ray downwards.

With a feral growl, Hyde shoved it back again, sending it reeling into the second tripod. Mina flew between them gracefully, easily avoiding being crushed the Martians collision. At this, Tom, put his foot down and the car jerked forward. He breathed deeply, before letting it go again, pushing the car as fast as it could go.

* * *

''Wait, Sawyer! Wait..,'' Nemo warned him. Tom lowered his sped slightly as they approached the tripods, ''ready, Mr Skinner?''

''As I'll ever be…I'm too bloody old for this!'' The thief yelled, panic growing inside him. He gripped the side of the car tightly, preparing to bail…

''Now!''

At the Captains command, Tom finally pressed the car to full speed, and in seconds they were upon the Martians. He purposefully grazed the spindled legs of the first, before practically crashing into the second. It crumpled on impact, causing the Martian to topple over. The second tripod was now unsteady, and Skinner urged Sawyer to get the car going again.

Bloody from the force of impact, the American reversed and spun the car around, the rear of the vehicle hitting the next tripod with enough force to push it to the side. Hyde took over, ensuring that it hit he ground like the first. Mina was already breaking up the first to ensure it couldn't get back up.

* * *

Skinner bailed, as did Nemo, though more slowly. The impact had severely jolted him. The two looked at each other, both realising Sawyer wasn't getting out. The thief beckoned to Nemo to keep going while he helped the young man.

''Tom? You alright, mate?'' Rodney checked before touching him. Tom groaned slightly and batted him away, heaving himself out of the car. His cheek and forehead were cut by the shattered glass dangerously close to his left eye, and his mouth and neck were bleeding also.

''C'mon you stupid git, let's go.'' Skinner said half jokingly, helping Tom back to the ship. He heard the Spy give a small, breathless laugh.

There was a loud crash and a demonic laughter as Hyde punched his way through the glass screen encasing the Martian inside its ship. There followed an even more terrible noise as Hyde pulled it roughly out of the ship and began to rip it apart, even devouring pieces of the alien. Soon, satisfied with the carnage that had been done, Hyde made his way to the ship. Mina had succeeded in killing her Martian also, but less brutally than her monstrous team mate…

* * *

To Be Continued… 


	7. The Losing Side

AN- Apologies for the small amount of detail I put into the last chapter. Some of you constructively criticised me with it (thanks) and I did notice it myself- so, I am going to try and give you a much longer chapter with greater detail (for it's the details that make the Victorian era so fascinating) but without hurtling through the story along too fast…I really wish I could make this longer than I have, but there's still time to fix it!

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, and kept patience with me and intrigue with the story.

Enjoy.

* * *

Retired to a comfortable bed in the ship's infirmary, Sawyer relaxed. His wounds were cleaned up as soon as Jekyll had returned to his normal state, though he was slightly nauseous from Hyde's gruesome appetite.

Staring up at the cool, white ceiling, Tom could feel his neck throbbing a little from the iodine. Boy did that stuff sting like hell! But Tom had only winced a little while his injuries were treated- he'd had worse.

He mulled over the events of the past hour. They had succeeded in taking down two tripods- but that had cost Nemo's vehicle, which had been too damaged to salvage, and had caused him injury- and Nemo was sporting a sprained arm. He sighed deeply and closed his green eyes, blocking out the light so he could think. They had to have a weakness, something that would bring them down. Everything had a flaw; he just had to figure out what…

His eyes snapped open in frustration and he sighed again, shifting under the linen sheets. The lantern hanging nearby threw a beautiful pattern of light against the wall, which he stared at for a little while. He held his hand up, admiring the flecks of light that glowed against his tanned skin.

He played in the lamp light for a while as he brooded over the impending problem facing London. He had no idea if the things had arrived anywhere else in the world, there was little communication left. Well, it was a vast planet, they could land anywhere…and if London was having this much difficulty with the defence of the League, who was going to protect the rest of the globe?

* * *

Mina stood in the control room and watched Nemo standing at the main window. The weed remained a stark red, creeping across the panes slowly, trying to engulf the mighty ship and trap it in the river. He observed the abundance of men working to rid the Thames of its alien growth.

''What are we to do, Captain?''

Mina asked, her voice tinged with defeat. The Indian gave a heavy and tired sigh, not turning to face her. He had refused any treatment for his arm and insisted that it would do better to continue moving than to be bound in sling. The doctor was none too pleased with this decision, but left the Captain alone as he wished.

''I fear there is nothing more we can do, Mrs Harker. The weed is solid and strong, and even when my men make a clear area, it grows back fast…they have destroyed a large part of London, and have taken over the area surrounding their original landing site. London is doomed…''

The vampiress was frozen to the spot, a cold, heavy feeling gripping her chest. Nemo was right. They'd done all they could, put up a fight- but there were simply too many of the machines. They were only a group of five small, humans- different, extraordinary- but small nonetheless…

''Are we to have a meeting? I feel it would be appropriate to discuss our actions from now on if we are not to continue our fight.''

The dark Captain nodded, remaining silent, and bowed to her politely before he left the room. Mina took his place at the window and stared out at the city she called home for so long- but it wasn't her home anymore. Not since her change…nowhere had felt as stable as the League since then.

She sighed deeply and stared up at the sky. They had been so lucky, especially Agent Sawyer, but she retained that awful feeling of dread that she had been carrying since the beginning of the mission- someone was sure to die...and now if it wasn't to be in battle, it would be in trying to escape from the city. She felt certain that Nemo wouldn't leave the ship. It was his pride, and his life.

Perhaps he would be safe on board, but for how long? The weed would surely engulf the entire ship, despite how large it was. And then there was Sawyer- he wouldn't want to just leave and give up now. Skinner and Henry would see sense- they would leave- wouldn't they?

The unknown was terrifying…and for the first time in years, Wilhelmina Harker cried.

* * *

When he returned to check on his patient, Jekyll found the young American standing up at the porthole. He seemed deep in thought, one hand propping him up against the wall, the other resting on his hip.

''I see you're feeling well, Agent Sawyer.''

Tom nodded, but he didn't look away from the window. He was staring at the smoke rising on the other side if the river.

''You know me- injuries can't keep me down for long.''

With only minor injuries, Tom knew that the doctor couldn't make him rest if he tried to convince him so. But he didn't receive the lecture he expected. Instead the tall physician busied himself with sorting the equipment in his medical bag. Sawyer sighed to himself, feeling the sense of hopelessness in the air. The two men were distracted by footsteps in the corridor which was followed by Nemo's appearance in the doorway.

''Gentlemen, we are to have an assembly in the lounge to discuss our further activity regarding the state of London…we appear to be on the losing side of this 'war'.''

They nodded silently and followed the Captain out of the infirmary.

* * *

Seated in the Lounge, Mina had readily composed herself for the arrival of her team mates, and nodded politely at them when they arrived.

''Is Skinner here?'' Sawyer asked, looking for a floating glass of sherry. Mina shook her head as he took a seat in the armchair next to her. The other two were also seated, and they sat in a circle facing each other.

Tom ran a finger along the fabric of his chair as they waited, admiring the intricate pattern. It looked like the tentacles of an octopus were stitched all over the material in silver and navy thread.

''He was not in his room when I was on my way to the infirmary… but I have asked Patel to check the dining room and the kitchen-''

Just as Nemo finished speaking, first mate Patel strode into the room and went straight to the Captain.

''There is no sign of him sir- the crew haven not heard anything of him for a few hours, and there has been no 'mischief' reported aboard ship.''

The Indian thanked his first mate and rose from the chair to accompany him out. The three remaining League members were all surprised at this news and Sawyer stood up to follow Nemo.

''Where in hell could he be? We have to find him before we do anythin' else…''

* * *

Climbing over the smouldering wreckage of an old corner shop, Rodney Skinner took care in not hurting himself getting down from the rubble. Wandering through London deserted and half ruined, he felt very alone.

But he wouldn't be for very long, once he found some of their 'visitors'…

* * *

To Be Continued… 


	8. Return to the Pit

AN- Eh…sorry as usual. College sucks, and I should have doe some writing while I had some free time, but, my muse was dead I'm afraid…anyway, I'm gonna have a go now.

Enjoy.

* * *

An hour after the meeting was set, the League were certain that their thief comrade was not on board- and if he was, he was hiding better than ever. Mina and Hyde were unable to sense or scent him anywhere on the ship, and they were only left with the conclusion that he must have left them and gone out into London.

''He wouldn't really just leave, would he? Not without a good reason…'' Sawyer asked, drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair. He was stubbornly clinging to the hope that Skinner wasn't far and that that he hadn't ditched them at the worst time possible.

''Skinner is an opportunist. And at this present moment, the invaders are the stronger force… he may side with them.'' The Captain mused, staring out of a porthole window. He could see nothing but a haze of red where the weed had grown.

Wilhelmina shook her head in disbelief. ''They wouldn't take him! They couldn't possibly- what would make him any more superior than the other humans they've killed apart from his transparency?''

Seated now in the armchair facing hers, Nemo stroked his curled beard in thought, the deep blue stone of his ring glinting in the nearby lamp light.

''He needn't join them at all, of course- why would he, when he could just…disappear? He's hidden instantaneously when he's unclothed. Why even bother to betray us that far when he could simply run away?'' The doctor commented, on his feet and pacing slowly from the bookcase to the doorway and then back again. He shook his head a little and stared at the floor as he walked, brooding.

Sawyer stared around at his companions and felt a sense of loss without the playful sarcasm of their missing member. He had completely erased the thought of him joining their enemy from his mind- it was impossible.

However, Jekyll's words were still swimming around his young mind. He could just hide. He could just vanish without a trace, and get away safely from the battleground that London had become. And if that was what he wanted, there was slim chance of finding him again…

* * *

Somehow, Skinner had encouraged himself to wander all the way back to the pit, and watch the invaders working in their original landing space. It had taken him a long time, stopping to rest and cursing the road for its sharp and uncomfortable surface.

He hadn't even been able to find comfort in the grass that once surrounded the pit- it was dead, charred, and rough to his tired and bare feet. He noticed a small, dark patch upon one foot which would have given him away to anyone walking by. Congealed blood- 'must have cut myself somewhere…'- he muttered a few comforting curse words before slinking over to the edge of the crater.

He could see them now- great, colourless leathery masses with long tentacles- the huge disc like eyes and ugly beaks…They were working on something…

Moving himself a little over the edge, he could see the machinery required to build more of the immense tripods that were attacking and emptying London. The rest of the city was being swept as he watched, and he felt a slight pang of guilt inside him.

Oh well. They'd manage without him. They had done before.

Suddenly, the edge gave way, the dirt crumbling under his weight, and Skinner was sent tumbling down into the crater, dust and pebbles rising and skittering behind him. The creatures screeched to each other in alarm, but couldn't see the intruder.

The thief froze, horrified and in pain, as one of the things dragged it self over to his side of the crater. Luckily, he had landed on a small mound of rock that jutted out from the side of the pit- the Martian felt around below him, seeming to struggle with its tendrils- it put great effort into lifting them up towards the ledge- but it couldn't reach.

Seeing nothing, it began dragging itself back to its greasy looking companion. They exchanged an odd series of whines and screeches before they continued their construction, leaving Skinner to breathe a sigh of silent relief. He lifted his arm gingerly- it wasn't broken at least- just really painful. 'Best to stay here for a little while…' He thought, resting his injured arm in his lap. The breeze caused him to shudder. It was going to be a long, cold evening it seemed…

Rodney had not felt such fascination for anything for a long time- these creatures were hideous, but so very interesting to look at. The gravity was obviously slowing them up, and they still couldn't adjust- they were simply too heavy on this planet. His mind wandered a little while to what Mars must be like in comparison…to be so much lighter you could jump great to great heights…and the dirt to be such a deep red, like that of the Australian outback so he'd heard.

The gravity didn't seem to be holding them back too badly though. 'Not if they got those bloody things up and running so quick…' The temptation to go down and get a closer look was so strong in him, but he knew it was too risky, whether he was invisible or not- maybe they had some other strange senses they could pick him up with if he got too close? He'd been lucky not to fall right on top of any of them!

There was more squawking now, and a horrible high pitched sound that made Skinner's eardrums burn- then came an even worse sound.

Someone was yelling, screaming in terror, for someone to help- but he couldn't. A great, mechanical arm, none too different from the creatures own tentacles, swooped around from behind the massive tripod that was under construction. Skinner could see a person held at the end of this arm, struggling to get free.

Caught in morbid fascination, he stared on as another arm came from the same area of the tripod- one of the creatures seemed to be controlling it- and a small opening appeared at the end- something like a great needle, or even a knife, glinted in the setting sun.

The man was held fast to the ground by the first arm, before the second bore down on him with this sharp object- Skinner winced slightly as he heard the yelp from the victim- then silence. After a minute or so, the arms retracted, and the man lay motionless on the ground. The Martians nearby to him began squawking at each other again, before they pushed his body out of sight with difficulty.

One of the arms rose up again- but this one seemed slightly different- a jet of water came from the end, sprayed upon the red weed which was growing up the side of the crater, and as Rodney now realized, killing the other plants in the surrounding fields. He realized as well, that this alien plant didn't require water to live.

It was being fed with blood.

* * *

To Be Continued... 


	9. Last Defence

AN- Thank you for all your reviews, they're much appreciated as always.

* * *

Never in his entire life had Rodney Skinner ever felt so sick inside. He gagged a little as the Martians sprayed across the pit- and realized that it coming his way. Ignoring the pain of the fall, he desperately began to climb up the side of the pit again, but found to his dismay that he was traveling too slowly.

He could feel the sticky substance sprayed over him and the edge of the pit, still warm from extraction…He hurried further, the dirt and rock now slippier than before. He realized as he looked down that he had left an odd silhouette in the dirt, but they shouldn't be able to see him now he was moving against a red background.

The squawking put him under pressure, terrified that they had seen the red shadow of a man trying to crawl out of the pit.

He reached the scorched field and lay on the ground, panting for breath.

* * *

Special Agent Thomas Sawyer, twenty one years of age, paced the room irritably. He seemed to have taken Doctor Jekyll's place, as he was now seated in the arm chair that the Spy had vacated.

His mind raced with a number of possibilities and things that that he couldn't suppress. They wavered in his head and gave him no peace. Skinner had betrayed them. Skinner hadn't betrayed them. He had ditched them. Skinner was dead. The League were out of ideas. London was doomed.

He couldn't decide which he most thought to be true, all were mere suggestions. But he knew that the last was one he could not accept. They could not fail. If the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen could not save London, who could?

The military had tried and were beaten- they had tried and were beaten. They achieved only a small victory and now the Nautilus was trapped. Nemo wouldn't leave her that was for sure.

He racked his brains, desperately going over and over the situation, trying to find a solution. He'd done this so many times…what chance did they have against this other worldly technology? It was too powerful, and they had nothing strong enough to counter act it.

''Tom?''

He looked up and met Mrs. Harker's gaze. She seemed concerned- but then again he had been walking up and down the room without saying a word for at least half an hour now.

''I'm alright, Mina. Just thinking…'' he said, sighing. He shoved his hands in his pockets and stared down at his boots, then admiring the Persian rug. He couldn't think of anything.

''You should rest your mind…none of us know what else to do. We've tried our best.'' She reassured him, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. He looked up at her again sharply and frowned.

''You're…you're giving up. You're giving up? Well, I am not, and I'm not gonna rest until I think of something. I'm sorry- but I can't. You can be done…but I am not.'' He replied, repeating words he had said a long time ago aboard the ship, when the League seemed lost about their purpose.

He realised that all three in the room were staring at him now, but not taking in his sense of optimism as they had before. They looked defeated.

''You strive to save a place that is not your home and you have no loyalties to, Agent Sawyer…'' Nemo said thoughtfully, watching the young man. Sawyer stared at him and nodded, a light smile playing across his features.

''You did too. Neither of us are British citizens, but we're fighting on the same team for London. Besides…if they're here…who knows where else they could be.'' Sawyer replied. The Captain nodded silently. The vampiress smiled at him gently, shaking her head a little.

''What can we do..,'' she asked him, watching him sadly, ''there is nothing more we can try. We could only bring down a couple of them- there are many more.''

''There has to be something! Anything…'' Tom replied, frustrated. He wasn't a quitter, never had been, and never would be. He'd think of something. He strode out of the room and made his way through the labyrinth of corridors and stairwells towards the upper deck, where he could survey London and work this problem out.

* * *

Rodney staggered through the remaining, charred trees and leaned against the fence in the lane. His head was pounding, aching intensely, while his legs were feeling very weak. His vision blurred slightly, dizziness over taking him quickly. He held his stomach as he vomited, coughing at the bitter taste.

''Ugh….this is fun…'' he said through gritted teeth, feeling some of the nausea leave him. The acidic taste lingered in his mouth and he stumbled along the lane, slowly making his way back into London. He couldn't stand watching much more of them after that…an explosion from the city shocked him into a greater state of alertness.

He quickened his pace.

* * *

Nemo turned to young Agent Sawyer and smiled, his dark beard twitching slightly with the movement. His crew had managed to uncover one of the missile areas and they fired upon a lone tripod. It came down quickly, the carriage struck directly and killing the Martian driver instantaneously.

Sawyer grinned and watched the wreckage crumple and crash to the ground through the red haze of the control room windows.

''Well...it may only be one…but it's something.'' The American mused, still seeking a solution in the back of his mind. The dark Captain nodded in agreement, his arms folded across his chest.

''If more were present to see our attack, they would definitely attack the Nautilus and destroy her.''

The Spy hadn't thought of it, and kept it to himself. He could have risked getting them attacked…but, he supposed, Nemo would have made this point clear to him had there been more danger. The doctor and Mina stood quietly at the back of the room, watching.

''Ever the optimist.'' The vampiress remarked quietly, so that only Henry could hear her. He nodded, glancing at her.

''Are you alright?'' He asked, noticing that she was being extremely quiet. She had disappeared inside herself like she did in the early days of the League. She nodded and gave a light smile.

''Yes. I'm fine, Henry. I just…can't help but wonder what's going to happen to us...'' She said distantly, staring at the window. The doctor stared at her, unsure what he could say. What indeed? He didn't know either what would happen, but he knew it probably would not be pleasant.

'Why don't we go and fight them Henry. It was such fun- I want to kill some more of them, see what their blood looks like. I forgot to look last time…'

Jekyll shuddered, remembering the foul taste that had lingered in his mouth after Edward had devoured a part of the alien. He felt sick as he thought about it and shook it away from his mind.

''We can't.'' He thought back to Edward. ''Not after last time…you'll get us killed if continue to do things like that. Who knows what kind of diseases we could have gotten?''

'Would it be so bad if we died? Come on…you want out, don't you..? You've always wanted it…so pathetic...'

''No- not anymore…I don't want that anymore…''

'Why? Because you think **you** can **control** me? **Do you**? The only reason you haven't destroyed me yet is because you're a **coward**.'

''Shut up…''

'You shut up, it's the truth. All the things we've done…you've done-'

''**YOU**.'' Henry glanced at Mina, hoping she hadn't noticed his agitation. She was still distracted by her own thoughts.

'Huhuh…you wish it were just me…you **wish**. You could be a hero- for once- if we went out there.'

''You mean you would…you've said it yourself…it's you that would be going out there- I would just be a ghost in the back of your head.''

'Perhaps. Do you have the guts to get rid of me, Henry? Because this is your opportunity…'

Henry glanced to a small window and saw Edward staring at him, looking down at him expectantly. The doctor thought about it seriously, the nightmares and memories he wished he could erase. They plagued each day, no matter what he was doing, he could never escape the past.

''Ah…but to commit suicide, is also the coward's way out. Is it not..?'' The doctor was a little surprised to see the beast give a crooked grin and nod slowly. ''Everything has changed…everything. But…if the worst comes to the worst, it will not be an act of suicide, you're quite right. It will be an act of heroism…on both our parts.''

* * *

To Be Continued… 


	10. The Return

AN- I won't promise to update sooner this time, because I always break it… But still, I will not abandon this story at any time, so you don't have to worry about that. Thanks for all your reviews, faves and alerts so far and of course your patience.

Enjoy.

* * *

''Tom, don't be _ridiculous_!'' Mina scolded, swiftly following him down the corridor. He was a fool to think he could do this! ''You'll be killed in minutes!''

''Maybe.'' He replied, not caring. As long as he got some damage done before he died, he would be fine with that outcome. He'd have done his job, or at least, done all he could to get it done. He could join Huck and Allan…She had the speed of a vampire to use against him and she did, taking him roughly by the arm and almost appearing in front of him out of nowhere. She gave him a piercing gaze.

''This is madness- I won't allow you to do this. Please…'' Her gaze switched from authoritative to pleading. ''If anyone should do this, it should be me. No harm can come to me, I can fly and move much faster than a mortal.''

''I can't sit here and do nothing. And what if something happens to you?'' He retorted, staring back at her. She was very nearly taller than him, but he could thankfully match up to her in height at this point. He had decided that he would go out and locate any stationary tripods and plant explosives. It was more a job for Skinner, just like the last time, but since he was gone, it was up to Tom.

He would then get to the pit and destroy the things in there that seemed to be building things for their comrades. The original landing site- although it did make sense for Mina to go…but he wasn't going to stay back and do nothing.

''Like what? They cannot harm me, unless they have some silver with them. '' She said sarcastically. Nothing they had, that she was aware of, would be able to kill her. Injury was of course possible, quite likely. But not death- that was the 'luxury' she had over Tom. ''Agent Sawyer, I refuse to let you throw yourself into the danger zone like this, again. I will be doing what you wish to- though you will assist me.'' She said finally, taking charge of the situation.

He stared at her and suddenly realised what she had said as she walked on ahead of him towards the area where Nemo stored explosives. He and the Doctor were not far behind, but Sawyer didn't wait for them.

''Wait a minute, I want-''

''I know you want to, but you are not going to. That is final.'' She said matter of factly, giving him a look which dared him to challenge her. He fell silent and sighed, watching as the Captain pointed out which devices they were to use and how they would be detonated.

* * *

Coughing, Skinner stumbled onto the railing of the upper deck having jumped down from the bridge. He struggled with the door hatch and got it open, glad to feel the coolness of the ship. He closed it again and moved down the ladder hastily, hearing familiar voices…

''Oh, bloody brilliant!'' He said with an invisible grin, rushing down the corridor to meet them. They were in a room he had never seen open before, and shelves and boxes were all around containing weapons and….bombs?

''What's this then?'' He said, forgetting that he had disappeared without notice and was likely to be in a lot of trouble. The League members all turned sharply towards the doorway, recognizing the disembodied cockney voice anywhere. Sensing his position, Mina went over to him and found his ear, dragging him into the room.

''Ow! Mina!''

''**Where** have you been!? We were worried sick! We thought you had **abandoned **us!'' The vampiress scolded him immediately without a second thought. He got free of her grasp and clutched his ear, although they couldn't see him do so.

''Oh, I see- invisible bloke goes missing and it's- 'Oh he **must** have betrayed us!', not- 'Oh no! Where is Rodney Skinner? I hope he's **alive**!'' He answered sarcastically, receiving a laugh from Sawyer which he could not suppress.

''We didn't know what to think, you leaving without saying nothing and all.'' The Spy explained, grinning. A weight lifted in him at the return of the thief, who took a navy blue jacket from the wall and put it on so he could be seen.

''Well- I went to do your job- spyin'. I went to the pit and watched those things working- unfortunately, I got much closer than I would've liked…but here I am. I wasn't planning on leaving you lot, just yet. You're like a really odd family- really odd- but a family none the less.''

He confessed, hating touchy feely little moments like these. Mina's gaze softened a little and she smiled, forgivingly. He grinned, forgetting that she couldn't see it and flexed the coat which stuck to him somewhat, after having washed off the blood and weed residue off in a stream.

''Well…you and Mina will be a perfect combination to planting these things. I vote, that me, Nemo and Jekyll provide distraction a second time round.'' Sawyer suggested, indicating to the explosives Nemo had directed them to. Mina nodded slowly.

''Very well.'' She said with a sly smile, being in charge for once. He grinned at her and took up one of the bombs, examining it with interest. The Captain moved over but did not take it from him- he began to show him and the others the way they all worked.

''So when do we begin…?'' Jekyll asked as Mina and Skinner packed a small shoulder bag each to take with them. She had those which could be attached to the tripods and detonated by Nemo- Skinner took those for close range and quick fire, which he would have to set and run away from fast- but he was up to the task.

''Now. We'll just go out there and attack on sight. It's all we got left…let's make sure it works.'' Tom answered, looking out of the porthole window determinedly.

* * *

To Be Continued…. 


	11. Rule Brittania

AN- Hello! Yes, it's me again, and I have an update for you. Thanks for everything, reviews, alerts, constructive criticisms, patience and most of all, for staying interested in my writing.

Enjoy!

* * *

**London  
****Late Afternoon**

The tripods had successfully broken down half of the city. Its previous inhabitants, much like vermin as the Martians regarded them, had been forced to scurry away from the place or be exterminated. Most had opted for escape as soon as the heat beam had been fired from the pit.

The alien conquerors now conversed in a series of trumpeting sounds, although it was not the typical sound of any brass instrument. It had a resounding echo which sent a shiver down the spine of anyone who heard it, filling them with dread and persuading them it was best to keep running.

They stood to rest, stationary in the remains of the south bank, able to see their prize from high up in the control centers of their machines. Yet, they could not see what came towards them at such speed upon ground level, nor what flew swiftly through the sky to ensure they did not live any longer.

* * *

Hurtling through the air was a swarm of bats, explosives easily carried in a small bundle in the mass of winged mammals. Mina led them on, swiftly coming up behind a tripod which was further away from the others. She attached an explosive to the hood carefully and seemed to be un-noticed for a few seconds before the mechanical tentacles reached behind and tried to grab hold of her.

Too fast for it, she easily got away, leaving the thing to follow her across the city, taking great strides with its three spindly legs.

* * *

Down on the ground, Edward Hyde had returned, eager to do some damage to the things. He chuckled at the prospect, waiting for the signal to go from the Captain, who was also waiting for the opportune moment. Agent Sawyer was on the bridge with a flare gun and a set of flares- after all, he was too small to make as much of a distraction as Edward could alone.

The American held the flare up high above his head and pulled the trigger, sending a bright red flash up into the air. The tripods which had been 'talking' now seemed to turn in the direction of the light.

''That's it, come on over here!'' Sawyer yelled, unsure if they could even hear him but uncaring. He was doing something. Running as fast as he could along the tower bridge, the tripods were fast to advance upon him and one prepared to fire the heat ray upon him.

* * *

The Captain signaled from the bridge of the Nautilus for Edward to start his assault and the explosives Mina had set blew the compartment of the third tripod wide open. The machine skittered along, obviously out of control, the alien inside was apparently dead and lifeless in the seat as the tripod went crashing to the Earth.

* * *

''About time too…'' Edward said darkly, a smile upon his lips as he moved fearlessly towards the tripods that advanced upon Tom. They had entered the river, the weed not hindering them in the slightest, but then Hyde was able to move across it quite easily as well. He grabbed hold of one of the legs as it came down in front of him and began to shake it ferociously.

The tripod moved back to look down at him, preparing to fire the heat ray at him rather than Sawyer, who fired another flare in the direction of the Tripod behind. Leaving its comrade to fend off Edward, it followed Tom along the bridge.

Hyde laughed with pure mirth as it fired down upon him, narrowly missing as he ducked underneath the thing. The red weed was now scorched pitch black and stank of ash and blood.

''You missed, bad shot!'' He shouted up at the control hood, laughing loudly. He pulled hard at the mechanical leg, trying to break it in half. He almost managed…there came a loud SNAP as the leg finally broke under his pressure. His arms ached from the effort, but he didn't care- the machine tumbled backwards, now off balance, crashing onto the weed covered river bed.

* * *

Skinner had a much harder task- even though he safe from being seen by the Tripods, they could just as easily crush him by stepping on him unintentionally. He had to get them while they were still…he cursed loudly as he narrowly avoided the fragments raining down from Mina's hit.

Running across the street, he spotted another two tripods which were advancing towards the League where the Martian had been blown up. He took the moment to work out a timing- he set the timer on the bomb and raced towards the oncoming machines- as it was about to pass overhead, he managed to stick it to the leg of one of them and dived for cover.

The explosion came seconds later, sending the tripod off balance with the force of the blast as well as taking off half of its leg. The Invisible man cheered as the thing came crashing down. The tripod behind seemed unbothered for the moment, continuing on its way towards the League. Rodney approached the broken machine, the hood was cracked open and he could hear a low whining noise. The leathery alien inside was fatally injured and was crying out for help. Its pleas were ignored. A few moments later it stopped, the large disc like eyes shining eerily as it lay still, tendrils hanging at its sides. Skinner shuddered.

* * *

Approaching the control compartment, Hyde ripped open what seemed to be a hatch for the Martian to enter and grinned menacingly at the squirming Martian inside. It screeched at him, waving its tentacles helplessly as the gravity took hold.

''Hello- hello old chap- welcome to England.'' Edward said in a mockery of a gentleman's voice, grabbing hold of the thing viciously as he did so. It squirmed under his grasp, squawking in a distressed way. He ripped it apart, the flesh rather soft, and began to eat it as he had done before. Jekyll felt rather sick at this point and knew that he would definitely be sick later….if there was a later…another Tripod came towards Hyde.

The behemoth grinned, throwing the remnants of the Martian onto the weed and gesturing for it to go ahead and fire at him. It did.

* * *

Mina swooped overhead and attached her next bomb to the hood of the tripod which was bearing down upon her American team mate. It sent a metal tendril towards her and knocked her harshly away, but she sustained no long lasting injury. The bomb went off in seconds and it fell to the ground. The vampiress then set her eyes down upon the river where another tripod was preparing to fire its heat beam at Mr. Hyde.

''Edward! Move-'' she yelled at him. The beam fired.

* * *

To be continued…

AN- No-one kill me. Ahehehe, after all there is more to come.


	12. Soldier On

AN- Apologies as usual for the late update, but here you are. Enjoy! Thanks for being patient

* * *

There was a wild flurrying overhead as the cloud of bats which Wilhelmina controlled began to screech and drive down towards where the heat beam had fired, directly at Edward Hyde. There was a great flash of light and the sound of burning as all that was beneath the beam set aflame with a great rush of air. The vampiress flew back and forth in concern, prowling and prepared for the very worst as the smoke and steam began to clear from below.

Sawyer stood right atop the edge of the Thames Bridge, leaning against one of the sturdy lamp-posts which lined the entire stonework and staring down towards the weed covered river. There was a ghastly smell of burning- he could smell the blood in the air which came from the burning weed, the filthy water below which had been cast into a large spray of steam and he was sure, a hint of burning flesh…

''Come on…come on…'' The American willed the smoke wall to clear. He willed Edward Hyde to still be breathing, if hurt badly- how could he have escaped a direct blast like that without injury? Was he even alive..?

* * *

The screeching from the way had grabbed Skinner's attention- what the hell was happening? He could see the black mass in the sky, led by that slender figure with the wild red hair swarming back and forth over an area covered in rising smoke.

''Oh bloody hell…'' He muttered, gritting his teeth as his brain tried to deduce who must have been hit…for Mina to be panicking like that, someone must have- but not the Nautilus- no, there would have been an almighty bang had that been hit. And no sooner had he thought about the Ship, missiles were sent flying through the air with fantastical speed and destroying the Tripod which was so close to taking Mina out as she flew around the scene.

* * *

The Tripod caused a massive crash, the wreckage flying all over the river and becoming caught in the sticky crimson weeds which still choked the waterway. The creature inside was no-where to be seen, other than a few recognizable tentacles flung outwards with the shrapnel.

Lying amidst this was a huge, black shape, lying still and smoke still rising from it as the heat remained upon its skin. This lump was much like an animated piece of coal as it slowly began a movement. Ash and flakes of the black crust which had gathered on his skin flurried off of Edward as he stood himself up and roared furiously.

''The sky-wog bastard!'' He yelled, seeing that the Tripod had been blown apart already. He was only disappointed for not being able to kill the thing inside himself. He felt like he was on fire in every conceivable place and it was painful to move even the slightest amount…but he didn't care- there was work to be done, things to be killed…how could he stop now?

''Hyde! Stop where you are.'' Mina flew to a halt in front of him, ensuring she was at eye level- she could see that his eyes still held a ring of blue- and the white was a startling contrast to his blackened and crisp skin.

''What for?'' He asked her casually, shrugging his broad shoulders even though it hurt.

''You could have been killed!'' She yelled at him, uncaring what she sounded like at that moment. ''Both of you! How could you be so- so-''

''Stupid?'' He asked her, grinning, his large sharp teeth also a great contrast to the outside of him. She glared at him icily and folded her arms.

''If you were not hurt quite enough already I should have to slap you, Mr. Hyde.'' She said sternly. He laughed loudly, although it was a slight rasping sound to how he usually sounded.

''Then save it until later, I am sure it will be more enjoyable when we're not fighting these slugs.''

''You are injured- badly! You can't fight anymore!'' She protested eyes wide at the mere sight of him like this. He was burnt all over, some areas looked raw…it could only be his immense size that would save Henry later on….

''So? I can fight- it'll just hurt. I can deal with it until the formula runs out.'' He replied defiantly and strongly, his spirit none the worse for wear after being burnt alive. The vampiress shook her head in disbelief, although she couldn't help the light and amused little smile that took hold of her red lips.

''I can't believe you survived that blast…''

''All the more reason not to stop now. Look.''

* * *

As Sawyer watched impatiently from the bridge he caught sight of the great black mass that was Hyde, seemingly alive though not doing well- but living at least- but he was distracted by another Tripod heading their way- this was impossible!

''There's just too many of 'em! They keep coming!'' He shouted down to the two League members in the weed. His green gaze moved back up to the Tripods which advanced towards Mina and Hyde again, when one of them spontaneously started to wobble- it was unsteady, the steering obviously gone from inside…

The Spy watched, frowning as the spindle legs suddenly veered off to the left and the contraption came crashing down, never to move again. The second Tripod didn't even bother to try and assist its fallen comrade- but Hyde was already upon it, trying to bring it down from beneath along with the vampiress.

''Damn…how many can there be..?'' Sawyer muttered to himself, keeping an eye on the horizon. He grinned a little as Hyde managed to break the legs down again- they had it! And the Heat Ray had been fired up, but the blast skimmed across the far away rooftops, instantly bursting into flames before cutting out.

He saw in the distance another Tripod fall as it moved through the City- he frowned. It couldn't have been caused by Skinner…there was no blast…so what was it? Why were these things suddenly falling down as they moved?

* * *

''There are no more advances, Captain.'' Patel informed the Indian man who stood in the metallic crows nest with him, both holding a pair of binoculars. He too had seen the tripod fall somewhere out in London. His dark eyebrows knitted together in deep thought, he handed his binoculars to his crewman.

''Take us down- I wish to investigate this while we have ample time.''

''Yes, Captain.''

* * *

Nemo trawled across the weed himself, accompanied by Hyde and Mrs. Harker while the moment was quiet. The Captain had Hyde open up the compartment containing the Tripod they had brought down and then do the same to that which had fallen of its own, accord, seemingly.

The Scientist had peered inside the first, frowning at the sight of the struggling creature inside, tipped upside down in its seat by the fall. The Captain had promptly shot it dead with a small and portable version of a harpoon gun, straight between the great discus eyes and into what he could not be sure- but it had been stilled none the less.

He observed the grey coloration of the leathery hide, with a glistening look that was not natural at all to look at…but the blood, he assumed, coming from the creature was a deep red as that of a human…though from Skinner's account he was not sure if it was their blood at all. The other liquid to have dispersed from the thing was also of a grey coloration and much stickier looking as it oozed slowly from the wound he had made in the creatures head. The beak hung open hauntingly- and the eyes continued to shine, although it was lifeless.

Once he had made his observations he went over to the other alien creature and saw it was rather the same, although it was a lot paler than its fallen counterpart. The tentacles and indeed, the being as a whole looked much smaller than that of the first Mollusk. Edward confirmed that the creature he had ripped out of its machine earlier had also been bigger.

''Curious…it is almost as though this one has suffered some form of illness.'' Nemo deduced, standing in the strong weed which curled around his dark boots.

''What sort of illness?'' Mina asked, peering inside the Tripod with curious eyes. The sight was far from pretty.

''Who can tell? It could be some alien disease that it brought with it.'' Hyde announced, keeping an eye out for any further attacks. ''There's not much to go on, not knowing how this…things anatomy works…''

The Captain nodded quietly as he mulled it over. ''Come- we should not linger if there is some strange disease here.'' He said, waving a hand to move them along towards the Nautilus again. Whatever it was, it may have just have saved them…

To Be Continued...


	13. Tunnel Vision

AN- Thank you as always for your reviews and your patience. Here is another long coming update… hope you're still enjoying this at any rate!

* * *

**Nautilus  
****London, Thames  
****Early Morning**

For a moment, the group of 'talents' were safely aboard the grand vessel which was still being suffocated by the alien plant life stretching to cover a great area of the Thames. No boats could travel into London and there were none to leave but theirs- the League were practically the only human life left in the entire City. In fact, not including the Martians, they were the only life left. Not a single bird- pigeon or sparrow or otherwise- could be heard singing or making noise from any direction, for miles. No animals remained in London, nor on the outskirts….even the rats of every dank and grimy corner had fled, knowing better than to stay and await death from above. The safest place for them was underground in the railway lines.

And it was not bad advice.

Captain Nemo stood at the small map podium of the control room, his dark eyes narrowed as they scanned over the route he was planning- they should use the London Underground tunnels to get down to Woking and infiltrate the pit, where the newer Tripods had landed. Or at least as near as they could- but it was a construction site- an obvious target if they were going to try and win this war of the Worlds… with enough well placed explosives they could kill any alien life they found there- then the last remaining Tripods could be followed and taken care of- central London, although it was not completely destroyed, was in a terrible way….the destruction was vast and visible from their location at the Tower Bridge, the worst damage being over towards western London, out of the League's range of protection- funnily enough the East End had survived pretty well from their defense, but drastic action was needed- they needed to get into the very heart of the Martian position and destroy it from within- whatever the cost.

While the League members prepared themselves, the Captain said a brief prayer to the Gods that would bring them good luck and fortune, as well as praying for skill in battle- he was ready. But he just hoped that everyone else was too- excluding Doctor Jekyll, who was banned to the Infirmary for his own recovery, as much as Hyde seemed to be troubling him to carry on- the burns had subsided, luckily, after Hyde had melted back into Jekyll, but there was still a hefty amount of damage- another transformation, Nemo did not doubt, could end up killing the Englishman. He was going no-where under strict order.

Without the vehicle that the Indian had created being serviceable they would have to travel on foot once they got out of the Underground and simply make haste. There was little chance of finding a cart left behind, especially one which would be useable as well as finding a horse that was not dead or crippled, at best. It was about 6 o'clock in the morning now and they were halfway along the route towards Fenchurch Street station, a team comprising of the remaining mortal scientist, the vampire, the invisible man and the spy, along with members of Nemo's crew which carried a small bulk of the prepared explosives along with the League members. The eeriness of an empty and silent London was still truly unsettling- none could get used to it and doubted if they ever would as they entered the luckily unharmed station. The Captain wished to check the perimeter first to see what could be done about the electric lines, as the City had really surpassed itself in transport with the latest technologies.

After a quick test, it seemed that the lines were safely down- the generating station across the other side of London must have been destroyed- with the small amount of light they could be granted with from their own lamps, they began the long trek into the empty void of the railway tunnels.

Outside the small extensions of light cast along the walls and the ground, there was simply utter blackness. Wilhelmina Harker could see the furthest down the tunnels, the vampiric sensitivity using every bit of light to aid her night vision- but there was really nothing to see but the thick heavy rails upon the ground, the wood spaced out between, large pieces of flint underneath their feet which crunched away as they traveled- and the grimy, dark walls. The old, original lines were nothing more really than ground trenches with 'roofs'- this was something else…. No other country could rival the railways of London, even as the technology of Paris had advanced to extend its rail lines- this was the home of the greatest surge of industry…

The air was heavy with the smell of metal, slight rust; the stones underneath…but most prominently, the thing that everyone was able to notice with heightened sense or not- was the rats. There was a shrill sound of squeaking all around them- a high pitched tone of pain coming from behind the vampiress quite suddenly.

''Bloody things- get- out- of- the- way!'' The Invisible man cursed as he accidentally trod on yet another rodent, glad to be clothed down in this dingy place. His boots, he did not doubt were stained with blood from one of them, stepping on it back in the darkness and hearing a nasty noise he hoped was just the gravel under foot slipping around. Rats… he was used to the creatures scurrying around back alleys, in parlors and easy entry buildings, but not on this scale… they were rushing up and down the lines like a swarm. He had given up trying to be humane and not squish the animals- it was a hopeless task…so he had resorted instead to nudging and booting through them- better a short kick than being crushed, certainly, but even that was proving difficult…and they had a long way to go yet….

''Great Christ, why couldn't we just _act_ like rats and scurry over ground?'' He asked of the Vampiress and the Captain up ahead of them, gritting his teeth as he felt them continue to run up and down about his ankles and feet.

''Because, Mr. Skinner, the whole _point_ of being underground is to follow the example of the rats. We are safe and unseen.'' Mina pointed out, also taking as much care as possible not to step on them- it just wasn't nice, no matter if she had to feast on the blood of her once fellow human beings, but if it did occur she could carry on without dwelling upon it. God help any other woman who might have been forced to use tunnels for escape… the way they were brought up to fear most living creatures was remarkable- though that was a minority, she supposed in after thought. They were grown men who wouldn't be able to stand this for so long….

''Yeah, _unseen_ is too right.'' The Cockney muttered in reply, listening idly to the scratching and squeaking all around them. ''I can't see a bloody thing outside of this lamp, how is Nemo supposed to lead us in the _dark_?''

''He has traveled the globe as well as its oceans with precision. I think that using a map and his own calculations, as well as my eyes and the light he has, he can quite suffice in leading us to where we need be.'' She replied calmly, not letting all of this catch up with her again. Sawyer she had noticed had been very quiet throughout this excursion so far, quite unlike his usual self. She had been worried to leave the Doctor behind, but the Indian Doctor aboard the ship had assured her he was not going anywhere, be that out of the Infirmary or to a 'better place'. Not that the man himself would believe he had any chance of salvation were that true… certainly not if he and Hyde were still classed as one man, no matter how divided- Hyde most obviously would go to hell if the case were to separate them, but his deeds were so strong and Jekyll had been so weak to stop him in the past that perhaps he would be judged most harshly , as the creator unable to keep control of the creation- 'playing God' even…. that was a sin which he had committed himself…

Letting her mind wander to all of that, while interesting in a way, was highly distracting. He would be fine- Henry would be fine and Edward… he was always fine…. Even after a strike like that on him… it was amazing really- as large, resilient and strong as he was, he was still only mortal. Death could still come to him on swift wings- and for a horrible moment the previous day she thought it had…. Strange how the 'beast' had grown on her since they met. He was still callous, rude and perverted, usually, that was his way- that was what he was made to be, Jekyll's complete opposite- and yet she could not ever think of having one without the other anymore…it just would not be…right….

''Damn it!'' The thief brought her out of her thoughts sharply again and she sighed, hearing another loud squeak as a rat was thrown out of his way by a boot. ''Oh, how long is this going to take, eh? I can't stand this much longer…'' He had been in some damn bad places but this was something completely new… and entirely unpleasant.

''A few hours at least, Mr. Skinner.'' Came a distant sounding reply from Nemo up ahead. Even with the lanterns, everything down in the darkness seemed devoid of any colour- the soft yellow glow was the only one that could be made out, engulfing everything else- anything much darker was just black. Skinner grumbled something to himself and kept on keeping on through the swarm, hoping for daylight sometime soon- not that it was a pretty sight overhead….

''You alright back there, Sawyer?'' He said, turning his attention to the younger man a few strides behind him, looking pretty pensive… he'd hardly said a word and it was just odd to see him so…serious, even in a situation like this…

The Spy looked up and gave a brief smile, nodding slowly to his Invisible team mate. He was fine, just thinking about everything….the chances of coming out of this alive were slimmer than any mission he had ever been on- and while he had to admit he had a taste for danger- after all, he wouldn't have joined the Secret Service if he didn't- it was really causing him to think about his life much more deeply than he ever normally would. He had time to think- not like being thrown into a mission and hoping to come out of it the other side still breathing- he had so much time… and it was eating away at him so unexpectedly.

''I'm fine. Thanks.'' He replied, knowing that a verbal confirmation was needed for the Thief to leave him in peace- well, hopefully anyway, but he doubted if it would have much effect in this case. Skinner was a thief after all, and he did like to pry- he admitted to being a nosy person and using his 'talent' to that end as well.

''Yeah..? Alright mate, just checking… bloody rats…'' Skinner muttered again as he turned his head fully to the front- of course, he was thinking, this was a massive mission for them… they hadn't heard from 'M' or from Campion Bond in a while either, which was worrying- they must have been evacuated, but if not… Vauxhall Cross had been damaged badly, so that had hurt MI5 headquarters…

The American nodded gratefully and kept walking, bringing up the rear of the party on his own. There was something quite unnerving about that. The crew were up ahead with the Captain, all navigating together with him and Sawyer was just here behind Skinner with the cold creeping up his neck and his back- darkness behind them- obviously there was nothing to be scared of in the tunnels, but that fear wouldn't go away…the nasty creeping sensation of something being behind you- it was just natural. Humans had always had a natural fear of darkness, of the unknown…. The lamp did not really help to make him feel better, but he refused to allow himself to span the light around to _check_ there was nothing there- it made him feel very much like a child….this whole affair had made him feel highly vulnerable.

Of course, he knew that he was just a man, not impervious to harm from bullets, knives or falling debris… or a massive heat ray… Hyde was damn lucky to come out of that one and he had still wanted to fight….but never had he really felt so incapable, so helpless… their plans had not come together as smoothly as hoped in any case and he doubted if this one would go by without some kind of hitch. At least they had a plan but on such a huge scale of destruction- even Venice had not suffered this much from Moriartys' explosions, not nearly as much- where one small area of the City in Italy had come tumbling down like dominoes, London had been stuck in various places. It was quite amusing, he had remarked, that St. Paul's had survived the tirade around simply because they had been close enough to prevent damage befalling that area…. But they had come close to destruction themselves. So very close…. These invaders, this whole thing was so much bigger than any of them could have comprehended that day when they traveled through the summer rainfall down to Woking to inspect the crater themselves….the start of the mission. And they had to bring it to an end, this time if possible- if not then damn soon- because the rest of the World was at risk…. He hoped to God that these things had only landed in London, that they hadn't landed back home, be it near his home town or anywhere else…. Sure, they had the Nautilus, if they could free it- the weed had grown over a good area of the Thames, running from the Tower Bridge all the way down the river curve to Westminster, although it had seemed to choose the East bank to grow on further down that route.

The World could not be hit by this- it was too much for them to handle… London had been unprepared for this, if word could spread then other Countries would probably have a chance, or might even have reacted stronger to the landings. However it turned out there was no hope for the capital of the British Empire- it had been defeated…. The only thing left to conquer being the last living humans that stayed behind.

* * *

The trek through the long tunnels continued over the next few hours- stations were passed through, devoid of life as always other than the rodents. There were fatalities that they passed by, even in the lines at one point- people who had died from their injuries, or from shock whilst stumbling along in the dark- the rats worried their corpses, making a good feast out of it while the League passed by with careful steps, covering their mouths and noses against the harsh and heavy smell of death and decay. At one point they were forced to try and clear the line of rubble to get past, but it was at Victoria Station they found they could no longer carry on. It had completely caved in under the rampage of the Tripods and they managed to clamber out onto the Buckingham Palace Road, where in the distance, over all the rubble left behind of what used to be busy streets, the Palace itself was just visible- it had survived, but there was still noticeable damage….

''It seems we will have to continue over ground for now.'' The Indian at the front of the group stated, packing away his light into a small pack where the explosives were. They each had some, and they should have enough to destroy that pit in its entirety…. It was just setting up which would be the most dangerous, more so than the explosions themselves. Skinner had regaled them with the Martian use of blood to feed their red plant life and that type of death was not exactly swift- not the way any of them wished to perish.

There were no Tripods in sight, luckily, but it was a long way out to Horsell Common from here… a long, long way…. Hopefully they could continue their subterranean journey once they found another station, if not- they would, as Skinner said, have to try and duck and dive their way over the rubble and any buildings that were mercifully left standing, as unsafe as they were. As time passed, they found that they were relatively safe- one moment passed where the Tripod could be heard in the distance making that eerie call to its brethren, but it soon faded out into the distance. They walked for miles, without any other transport being available, pausing to rest briefly, on their way South- West. Where they could find another tunnel to take a more direct route they did but finally came out of the stifling atmosphere out into the fresh air again, out of the blackness of the tunnel and into the dim light of dusk approaching. It was exhausting- if the vehicle had not been destroyed they could have been there in such a shorter time…the use of it had not come to a great amount of good other than to injure Sawyer and the Captain, luckily not too badly.

It would not bode well to try this attack when they were all tired- with the exception of the vampiress- so a short rest break was needed. They settled into an inn just outside of Woking- the Bleak House, had it not been destroyed already, would have suited their needs better- and they ate what little food they had brought along as well anything tinned they managed to find. Rest and food would prepare them for the task ahead…as long as they were not caught out again in this place like the first time. If they had not been awake- then battle would already be over.

* * *

**Horsell Common  
****Woking  
****Morning**

The dawn brought a new migraine upon Wilhelmina Harker- one of being deprived of her true food source. With no living things other than her team mates to feed upon, she had been getting more and more drawn- as though age could finally catch up with her- the dark circles around her eyes were even worse and she was growing thinner- but there was no chance of finding a meal without having to fly way out to follow the evacuees and they had been through enough stress, as hungry as she was. Although she was impressed with her own hold on her temper, which usually flared drastically when she was 'hungry'…. But to lose control, even in the slightest, around these people was the worst possible thing and she fought to keep herself cool. The rats of the tunnels had provided enough sustenance for now, but it was not nearly as good, in taste or energy, or satisfaction- just enough to keep her going. Mortal blood was what she needed…but there was no time to search for it now.

The small group made their way through the remaining trees that hid the pit from view- everything else was scorched earth beneath their feet, black and hard and so surreal…but there was something else rather more sinister than their environment, something that Special Agent Sawyer had remarked upon with the vampiress on that night they had investigated the crater for the first time…

''I can't hear anything…'' He said quietly, glancing around him and feeling the nerves start to build up inside him. There was nothing- no birds; no rustling of field mice running through, even the chirping of a cricket but that was expected. This time, there was no construction sounds. There was no clanging; no steam rising from the pit itself, no green smoke which had been bizarre when they first saw it… there was nothing around them but the sound of the breeze rushing through the overhead tree canopies.

Nothing.

* * *

To Be Continued...


End file.
